


Moving On

by smaragdbird



Category: Marvel's Avengers (Video Game)
Genre: Forgiveness, Kissing, M/M, Moving On, Post-Game(s), Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29426826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: When all is said and done, Tony's tired of the bickering and the misunderstanding and the whole being-at-cross-purposes with Bruce
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	Moving On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [textbookchoices](https://archiveofourown.org/users/textbookchoices/gifts).



When all is said and done, and they’ve saved the world, for now, and stopped AIM, for now, and nothing has really changed, the public and the government are still not on their side, Tony feels tired. This used to be fun, used to be the highlight of his existence. Now they have to rebuild it with scraps and he’s done that before.

He’s tired of the bickering and the misunderstandings and the whole being at cross purposes. They were both wrong, he and Bruce. He’s apologised, that should count for something, right? And the kid, she seems to have a good influence on Bruce.

There’s no answer when he knocks on Bruce’s door, but he knows Bruce is in, Jarvis told him, so he lets himself in. Bruce sits cross-legged on the floor, hands on his knees, either meditating or power napping. Tony used to love that stillness that Bruce can keep while Tony flutters through his environment like a hummingbird and even now, beneath the bitterness, his heart beats fondly as he watches Bruce.

He walks in, sits down on the bed, fiddles with a few things lying there. Bruce used to be so tidy. Tony’s always been a corrupting influence on him.

“Hey Bruce”, he says when Bruce opens his eyes. 

“Tony.” Bruce sounds vary, as if he’s not sure whether Tony is here to start another fight or not. Tony can’t really blame him for that. Other things, sure, but not that.

“I think we should talk”, he says reluctantly, twisting the energy module casing he’s picked up in his hands.

“Do you?” Bruce asks. He sounds surprised which is not surprising.

“I want to talk”, Tony says, gets up and starts pacing. The casing feels familiar in his hand. He used to love it when he and Bruce stayed up all night in the lab, building ideas into reality. 

“I’m sorry”, Bruce says, “I trusted…we trusted them, Tarleton and Maria. When I made my statement before Congress – “

“Not that”, Tony interrupts him. “I don’t want to talk about the past. We can’t change that. I want to know where we’re going from here?”

“Where do you want it to go?” Bruce asks carefully.

“I don’t know, I…” Tony stops pacing when Bruce catches his eyes. “I want it to be better. Like it was. Except that it can’t be, can it?”

“No, it can’t”, Bruce replies. His voice has gone soft like always when he’s confronting a problem that has to do with feelings instead of science. He holds out his hand and Tony takes it, helps him to his feet. “Maybe we can make it better, different, but…better.”

It’s the closest Tony’s been to Bruce since he hit him. “I want to trust you again”, he says. 

“Me, too”, Bruce replies. He rests a hand on Tony’s waist, “but I think we have to start small. Build up to it?”

“Open communication about our feelings?” Tony asks and cannot help but laugh. “Have you met us?”

“I was thinking about a kiss”, Bruce says, “but communication is good, too. Anything you’d like to share?”

Tony’s surprised but delighted by Bruce’s forwardness. “Nope, not right now”; he says before he closes the distance between them. It’s been years since he kissed anyone, longer since he last kissed Bruce. 

It feels like coming home after you left a long time ago. The memories, good and bad, are still there, but you’ve opened the windows are ready to start anew.

He frames Bruce’s face with his hands as he breaks the kiss and leans their foreheads together. “You’ve hurt me more than anyone else and I still love you. How’s that for open communication?”

“Pretty good”, Bruce murmurs, his fingers clenching tightly where they’re buried in Tony’s shirt. “I love you, too.”

The second kiss is better, more like it used to be, but different, too, because things can never be like they used to be again.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?” Bruce asks.

“I’d like that”, Tony replies.


End file.
